Attitude – Page 83 – Peninim on the Torah

In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a tree; birds will eat your flesh from you. (40:19)

Why did Yosef interpret the bakers’ dream in this manner? What clue did he have that the baker would die? Horav Meir Shapiro, zl, responded by citing a story. Once, at an art festival, the organizers hung up a picture that was drawn by a world-famous artist. It was a picture of a man holding a basket of fruit in his hands. The illustration was so realistic that birds would fly over the picture and attempt to eat the fruit! This picture amazed everyone, to the point that a prize was offered to anyone who could find an error in…

Home -> 5759 -> Vayeitzei

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vayeitzei, 5759

He encountered the place and spent the night there because the sun had set. (28:11)

Chazal credit Yaakov Avinu with introducing Tefillas Arvis. Thus, the word “vayifga,” which is usually translated as “he encountered,” means, “and he prayed.” Prayer is, in essence, an encounter with the Almighty. The Patriarchs initiated each of the daily tefillos. Regarding Avraham Avinu, who originated Tefillas Shacharis, the Torah says, “Avraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Hashem” (Bereishis 19:27). The Torah uses the word, “amidah,” standing, regarding Avraham. In contrast, pegiah, encounter, is used in regard to Yaakov. Finally, the word, “sichah,” – “Yitzchak went out to supplicate (lasuach) in the field,”…

Home -> 5759 -> Toldos

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Toldos, 5759

Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth. (25:28)

Eisav used guile to fool Yitzchak. He was “tzayid b’fiv“, a hunter with his mouth. He ensnared his father with halachic questions. He portrayed himself as a devout scholar, concerned about the intricacies of giving Maaser, tithing crops. “How does one tithe salt? How does one tithe straw?” he asked Yitzchak, knowing fully well that Maaser does not apply to these two substances. Chazal interpret the words “tzayid b’fiv“, to be descriptions of Eisav’s cunning. He used his mouth for subterfuge. Should one assume that Yitzchak yearned for Eisav’s “hunt”? Surely, he had sufficient sheep and cattle that he did…

Home -> 5759 -> Noach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5759

Now these are the chronicles of Terach, Terach begot Avram, Nachor and Haran…Haran died in the lifetime of Terach his father. (11:27,28)

The Torah traces the genealogy of Avraham Avinu. It records the names of his two brothers, Nachor and Haran, and adds that Haran died during his father Terach’s lifetime. Rashi cites the Midrash that claims that Haran actually died because of his father. Terach was an idol merchant who complained to the wicked Nimrod that his son, Avraham, had smashed his wares. Nimrod could not tolerate that someone “defaced” his idols, so he threw Avraham into a fiery furnace. Haran was challenged to decide between his brother and his king. Should he follow Avraham, whose belief in monotheism made sense?…

Home -> 5759 -> Noach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5759

They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top will be in the heavens, and we will make a name for ourselves. (11:4)

“We will make a name for ourselves” is the attitude one would expect from an individual with an insecure ego. Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, remarks that becoming aware of one’s ego can lead to two possible attitudes: humility or arrogance. An obsession with one’s insignificance can either stimulate one to do something for the common good, to serve humanity, or it can drive him to defy what he believes is an inexorable destiny, to break the shackles of human limitations by revolting against Hashem. The people of that generation chose arrogance. They could not accept the fact that one’s worth,…

Home -> Mikeitz -> 5759

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Mikeitz

Yosef named his firstborn Menashe, for G-d has made me forget all my hardship,…and the name of the second son he called Efraim, for G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. (41:51,52)

Horav Zeev Weinberger, Shlita, asserts that Yosef purposely gave his sons specific names. In naming Menashe, he was determined first to focus on removing the “past.” With Efraim’s name, he intended to offer gratitude for the present. We note that Yosef is the only tribe for whom two reasons are given for his name. Rachel says, “G-d has taken away my disgrace” and “May Hashem add for me another son.” Once again, the twin concepts of erasing the past and maintaning a positive attitude about the present are manifest in these two names. This implies that Yosef’s personality consists of …

Home -> 5759 -> Lech Lecha

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Lech Lecha, 5759

And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock; and the Canaani and the Peruzi were dwelling in the land. (13:7)

This seemingly innocuous pasuk is the source of much homiletic exposition by the commentators. Why does the Torah begin by saying that there was a “riv,” “quarrel”, between Avraham and Lot’s herdsmen? In this instance, the Torah uses the word “riv,” which is the masculine gender of the word. On the other hand, when Avraham speaks with Lot, he says, “Let there not be a merivah between us,” using the female gender. The Shlah HaKadosh explains that Avraham sought to emphasize to Lot the gravity of machlokes, controversy, and its tragic consequences. He said a simple “riv,” which is…

Home -> 5759 -> Chayei Sarah

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5759

And Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her. (23:3)

Rashi cites Chazal, who teach us that the narratives of Sarah’s death and the Akeidah follow one another in order to demonstrate that Sarah died as a direct result of the Akeidah. The Satan told Sarah that Avraham had slaughtered Yitzchak. When she heard this shocking news, she cried out in grief and died. The commentators offer various explanations for this Chazal. Interestingly, Rashi mentions this juxtaposition – in regard to the pasuk detailing Avraham’s reaction to Sarah’s death, his eulogy and mourning. He does not mention this Chazal at the onset of the parsha, which begins with Sarah’s…

Home -> 5759 -> Bereishis

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5759

And Hashem made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to dominate the day and the lesser luminary to dominate the night. (1:16)

Chazal tell us that originally the sun and moon had been the same size. The moon complained, asking, “How can two kings rule simultaneously?” In other words, the moon felt that one of the luminaries should be diminshed in size. Hashem, thereupon, told the moon to diminish itself so that the sun would be the dominant luminary. Chazal characterize the moon’s remark as inappropriate. The moon receives its light from the sun. Thus, the sun is the mashpiah, source of light, and the moon is the mekabel, reflecting the light it receives from the sun. This was unacceptable to the…

Home -> 5759 -> Shelach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5759

Send forth men,if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

“Anashim” is not a word to indicate plain men; rather, it is a description of the men. They were distinguished men, people of stature, breeding – truly tzaddikim worthy of leading their respective tribes. What went wrong? How did tzaddikim go off the derech, correct path, virtually overnight? In fact, this is not the only instance where noble men, leaders of the Jewish People, “lost it.” In the previous parsha, we learned about the “asafsuf“, complainers, who “lusted a lust.” There is a difference of opinion in the Midrash Tanchuma as to the identity of these malcontents. One opinion is…

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In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a tree; birds will eat your flesh from you. (40:19)

He encountered the place and spent the night there because the sun had set. (28:11)

Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth. (25:28)

Now these are the chronicles of Terach, Terach begot Avram, Nachor and Haran…Haran died in the lifetime of Terach his father. (11:27,28)

They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top will be in the heavens, and we will make a name for ourselves. (11:4)

Yosef named his firstborn Menashe, for G-d has made me forget all my hardship,…and the name of the second son he called Efraim, for G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. (41:51,52)

And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock; and the Canaani and the Peruzi were dwelling in the land. (13:7)

And Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her. (23:3)

And Hashem made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to dominate the day and the lesser luminary to dominate the night. (1:16)

Send forth men,if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

YEARS

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